Steering Help

J

Jake D

New member
Hi everyone,

I'm hoping you can evaluate a service quote for me. I'm a noob at most of this stuff (though I did swap my starter contacts and will install a transmission cooler this weekend), but intend to learn as much as I can. In August 2014, I bought my 2000 4Runner with 90k miles.

I took it in for oil change/inspection to a Toyota dealership 2 weeks ago. The dealership said that the steering rack needed to be replaced, but if I needed to wait, the worst that would happen is that I would lose power steering.

I had it in to another shop today for alignment. The shop said they couldn't align it because a bearing was bad in the driver side rack and pinion gear box. They also said that if it goes out, I will lose steering in that side. Is that accurate? I'm trying to reconcile that notion with what the dealership said and wondering why the dealership wouldn't have noticed the same thing.

They quoted me $761 for OEM parts and labor of $251.42, plus a power steering flush for a total cost of 1103.12. I'll eventually have it done, but want to know if this is a next week or next month thing.

Thanks for any and all input. I love this forum and have learned a lot. I've been impressed with how helpful and respectful folks are on here.

Thanks,

Jake
 
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And just so this thread isn't worthless, here's a pic.
 

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When I bought my 2001 SR5 4x4 I noticed it had some play in the steering. Apparently it had a bent steering rack. I drove it as is for a few months including two 400 mile road trips. I took it to my mechanic and had him replace the steering rack.

If I remember correctly it ran about $1000 for the parts and labor.

Steering was perfect after it was replaced.

Your price quote seems good.
 
Yeah, the price seems fair. More curious about the idea of losing steering in that wheel vs losing powersteering.
 
What's wrong with it??

So what symptoms does it have that would make you want to spend over a grand to repair? :cowboy:
 
I don't have any symptoms except for leaking. The idea of losing steering (not just power steering) seems non-negotiable. I'll check into ebay. That's about $200 less than the price I've been quoted.
 
Op, checking the rack guide is your first step. Its on the drivers side, and if its loose it may be the problem.


http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/70884-how-replace-steering-rack-guide-pictures.html#post604234


Its very common for the steering rack to go bad on our high mileage 3rd gen 4runners. However, yours has relatively low miles. It doesn't seem right at all that the rack is already that bad.

I don't know how mechanically inclined you are, but you could save a lot of money changing the rack yourself. Its basically a one day job. Its a fair amount of work, but certainly doable. I would also suggest going with a rack from Safari LTD, as they specifically claim their rack eliminates all the weaknesses that cause the OEM rack to go bad
 
I bought a remanufactured steering rack for my LS400 almost 4 years ago from discount steering and it has been great. I went with them based on recommendations from other Lexus owners who had good experiences and I have been impressed. They even supply the return label and you just use the box the replacement comes in and offer a $100 core reimbursement. They also offer new units but I believe the reman'd units are OEM or at least equivalent, it looked identical to the one I pulled off my car. I even still have pics I'm attaching. They also offer 36 month warranty on all units, and their prices are great. I sound like a damn salesman, I have no affiliation with them but there is no need to get ripped off and I just wanna pass along a good deal. The LS400 also tends to have a very picky steering system, I couldn't get two reman'd pumps to work (not from them) before breaking down for a $600 OEM new one, but the rack has been awesome the entire time with over 30k miles on it. Direct link to your year 2000*Toyota*4 Runner*Power Steering Rack from DiscountSteering $175 after core for a remand'd? Not a bad gamble IMO
 

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I would also suggest going with a rack from Safari LTD, as they specifically claim their rack eliminates all the weaknesses that cause the OEM rack to go bad
3c.jpg
 
Jake D said:
I had it in to another shop today for alignment. The shop said they couldn't align it because a bearing was bad in the driver side rack and pinion gear box. They also said that if it goes out, I will lose steering in that side.
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This doesn't sound right to me. First of all, it would be really surprising to see a bad steering rack with only 90k miles on the truck. Second, there aren't really any bearings on one side or the other that would go bad and cause a loss of steering. There are some bushings in there that support the shaft, but they wouldn't really be critical to alignment and aren't likely to be worn out with that few miles.

Are you sure they said it was a bearing in the rack? I'm wondering if maybe we have some confusion in the terminology. Common issues in the front are inner and outer tie rod ends, and ball joints. Any of those could cause problems with alignment, but the price quoted seems pretty high for replacing those. I'd probably go back and ask for some clarification.
 
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Just a thought, but when your valve covers leak they drop oil on both sides of the steering rack, which can make it look like it's leaking. Confirm with the shop what led them to the conclusion it's the rack that's bad. They should know this, but I've learned in the last year that competence is an exception rather than the rule.
 
jeremyc74 said:
This doesn't sound right to me. First of all, it would be really surprising to see a bad steering rack with only 90k miles on the truck. Second, there aren't really any bearings on one side or the other that would go bad and cause a loss of steering. There are some bushings in there that support the shaft, but they wouldn't really be critical to alignment and aren't likely to be worn out with that few miles.

Are you sure they said it was a bearing in the rack? I'm wondering if maybe we have some confusion in the terminology. Common issues in the front are inner and outer tie rod ends, and ball joints. Any of those could cause problems with alignment, but the price quoted seems pretty high for replacing those. I'd probably go back and ask for some clarification.
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That threw me too. I've since talked with another shop that basically said that notion was bunk. The price was for a total rack replacement.
 
Brique said:
Just a thought, but when your valve covers leak they drop oil on both sides of the steering rack, which can make it look like it's leaking. Confirm with the shop what led them to the conclusion it's the rack that's bad. They should know this, but I've learned in the last year that competence is an exception rather than the rule.
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Ha, that sounds about right regarding competence. I'll take a close look today. My steering doesn't feel loose, though I get that odd clunk every once in a while.
 
IBallEngineer said:
Nice rig, but the picture we need is the written quote you got stating what was wrong! LOL

:worthless
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They quoted over the phone. They wanted $45 to write up the quote with parts, which I thought was obnoxious and politely declined.

I have the quote from the dealer (~$1300) with the parts list - including rack, ITRE, etc.
 
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